KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Still feeling the ripple effects of Dustin Colquitt's release, the Chiefs are focusing on one small part of the special teams operation that makes a big impact on Sundays.
“So much of holding is repetition," kicker Harrison Butker told the media Friday via Zoom video conference. "I love the work ethic of Tommy [Townsend] and Tyler [Newsome]. They’re all about getting better, and they know a big part of being the punter is also about being the holder.”
The Chiefs released the 15-year veteran earlier this offseason, leaving Butker with a new holder for the first time since arriving in Kansas City. Even through a position battle, the Butker said he's making a point to cultivate a relationship among the entire unit.
“You have to be close,” Butker said. “You’re going to be kicking game-winning kicks together, and you have to be able to trust the other person.”
Butker said while team facilities remain closed, the group has met at local high schools to practice the snap-hold-kick operation previously manned by Colquitt.
“He was a big role model for me in that locker room, to see how an NFL player should conduct himself on and off the field," Butker said. “He was able to do a lot with the holds. And I think after three years of picking his brain I was able to pick up on a lot of his expertise."
